My Way Takes Me Home
by Cataracta
Summary: Kazuma comes home. He's anything but perfect, but Kanami's okay with that. Oneshot, Kazuma X OLDER Kanami lemon. Please heed rating.


**Cataracta's Notes: **So...this just kind of hit me. At a really weird moment. Ah well, inspiration comes in strange and various forms. As for this story, **_PLEASE HEED THE RATING!_** This **L-E-M-O-N **is far more descriptive, not to mention longer, than my last one. Why? I don't know. But please, if you are underage, don't read, or don't get caught. Either or. Getting banned is not on my top ten list of things to do right now.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, I swear.

**

* * *

**

**My Way Takes Me Home**

"_Kazuma comes home. Kanami knows he's far from perfect, but she's okay with that."_

Kazuma shook rainwater from his eyes and hair as he stepped inside the small, rundown building. He couldn't help the feeling that something was different, something had changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Blowing a renegade piece of hair from his line of vision, he took a careful step forward.

The house hadn't changed much; it was still small, airy, but it was also still homely. Kazuma could feel his heart kick in his chest and he winced slightly as he thought about just how long he had been gone. Running a hand over the walls, he continued to walk, his feet knowing where to go without consulting his mind.

After Ryuhou's and his final, explosive fight, Kazuma had disappeared. It wasn't that he'd left to lick his wounds – he was satisfied to know that Ryuhou had just as many – it was just that he needed time to think. Once, oh-so-long ago, things had been simple. Kanami and he had been able to scrape out a living in the Lost Ground without too much incident.

And then Ryuhou had come along. Without realizing it, Kazuma's hand tightened into a fist against the wood of the wall. The grating of his knuckles against the rough surface woke him up from his daydream, and he shook his head to rid it of any lingering images.

He glanced around and the familiar surroundings; Kanami's room. It was brightly lit from the sun, which Kazuma noticed was setting as he momentarily looked out the window. Stepping into the room felt like stepping into the past, and Kazuma had to fight down a fresh wave of nostalgia.

Simple. Somehow everything had gotten so complicated, and he couldn't even find someone to pin the blame on. Was it Ryuhou's fault? The bastard had waltzed into his life and thrown him into a prison cell, but in the end he'd turned out to be one of his greatest allies. Kujo's, then? The crazy son of a bitch had kidnapped Kanami for his own schemes, but was the complication to Kazuma's life his fault?

He knew it didn't matter. The logical, oh-so-annoying voice in the back of his head was relentlessly informing him of that. But Kazuma knew that the moment he stopped thinking about blame, his thoughts would switch right back to the one person Kazuma was certain, yet not, that he wanted to see.

Slumping onto the floor, Kazuma leaned his head against the wall. The sun's rays were turning the room into a vivid portrait, the most prominent color a pastel orange. Kanami's shirt had been orange, Kazuma remembered briefly. And she'd had a red hair ribbon. It seemed so long ago, that he'd last seen her, and it could have been. He found that he couldn't really remember.

He wondered who she'd turned out to be. She would be beautiful, a goddess, Kazuma knew. Even as a little girl Kanami had held the beauty and grace of someone divine. She would be kind-hearted, and he wondered if she would still be as idealistic and naïve as she had been. His lips quirked. Of course she would be; Kanami couldn't operate any other way.

Running a hand through his still dripping hair, Kazuma paused to study his arm. The lines spider-webbing it were a constant reminder of things he would rather keep buried, and Kazuma snorted and folded his hands behind his head.

So maybe he was a failure. Hadn't the old lady at the farm predicted that he would be? He'd failed at protecting the Native Alters, failed to protect Kanami from Kujo, and Kazuma was fairly certain that the list would roll on and on, if he felt like continuing.

There was a trickling feeling in the back of his mind that told him _this _was part of the reason he had fled instead of returning to Kanami. He'd failed her. For Kanami, there was absolutely no reason for her to want him back. At least that's what he'd told himself when he'd ran.

Though maybe _ran _was a bit harsh. Maybe instead he'd taken a well-needed vacation to sort out his thoughts so that his brain didn't explode. Maybe he'd just wanted some time alone. And maybe he was just making up excuses.

Kazuma sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He opened his eyes, noticing absently that the sun had almost disappeared before his entire focus shifted to the young woman standing framed in the doorway, glowing with the pale sunlight.

They stared at each other, neither believing what their eyes were telling them. It _couldn't _be; Kanami looked so much older, Kazuma looked so much more serene. But there was one thing that couldn't be fooled, and Kanami gave a chocked sob and threw herself into Kazuma's chest.

He caught her with an _oompf _and immediately started stroking her hair. The action felt so natural, as did the nonsense he whispered into her ear to help calm her. He could feel her small frame tremble and smiled slightly as he pulled her tightly against him.

For both, it felt like a dam had broke in their chests. Emotions tumbled out, fighting to be the most recognizable. Kazuma could vaguely feel the happiness, the glee, the pure joy as he held Kanami to his chest. Her heart thudded against his and he felt that he would never let go, _couldn't _ever let go.

But as the two sat there, a tangle of limbs and emotions, the feelings gradually turned to sparks where their bodies pressed against each other. Kazuma could feel his own breathing as it sped up as well as Kanami's as it puffed against his chest. Kanami lifted dazed green eyes to his and found that her expression was mirrored.

And then suddenly Kazuma's lips were on hers, hard and insistent. The arms that had been tight against her shoulders slid to her waist and tightened there, and Kanami gasped. Every move Kazuma made felt magnetized against her hypersensitive skin. The press of his lips was tempting her to let go, to just _feel_, and she melted against his chest.

He shifted, pulling her towards him so that his legs pressed on either side of her slim hips. Another gasp and something that sounded almost like a whimper let him know she had no objections. His tongue swept along her bottom lip, tasting her skin as she tentatively opened her mouth. Feeling her small tongue against his forced Kazuma to release a small groan, and he pressed Kanami even closer.

For Kanami, the feelings were all new. The feel of Kazuma's tongue as it explored her mouth and stroked her tongue was causing something strange to pool between her legs, a feeling that she couldn't remember having felt before. Where Kazuma's hips pressed against hers, she could feel his hardness and felt a twinge of nervousness.

Kazuma seemed to sense this, for he slowly stopped kissing her, leaning back some to allow him to look into her dazed eyes. He reached forward and brushed an unruly piece of hair back behind her ear, grinning foolishly as he realized that her hair was still just as long as it had been and she still wore it up, tied with a red ribbon.

He could feel Kanami's panting breaths as she sat watching him, her face flushed and her eyes dazed. Kazuma couldn't decide whether he was surprised or not that she was apparently untouched. Surprised, because she was such a beautiful girl in a hostile land, yet unsurprised because Kanami had always been pure.

For long moments Kanami stayed still, watching Kazuma as he watched her. There was serenity in his eyes that she had never seen before, never sensed, and it filled her with a sense of wonder. Raising her hand, she gently placed it against his cheek, curving her palm to cup his face.

"You've changed," She said gently.

"You too," He responded, his hand coming to cradle hers.

Kanami smiled. His smile was reassuring her, and the serene look in his eyes was helping to calm her own frantic nerves. She wondered briefly at the reversal of roles and realized that he must have found something in his extensive travels to help calm him. Leaning towards him, she watched his eyes carefully, then closed her own as she pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was supposed to be short, chaste, but as Kanami felt her lips touch his, the sparks returned tenfold. She found herself pressing closer to Kazuma, wanting to feel more of him. He in turn dropped one hand to the small of her back, forcing her even closer. In a split second Kanami knew that the wild, untamed Kazuma was back, though the serene, calm one was still there.

All traces of coherent thought dashed from her brain as Kazuma's tongue delved past her lips and he rocked his hips against hers. A rush of liquid fire pulled low in her belly and she was only vaguely aware that Kazuma had tucked his hands underneath her and was standing up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and could feel his lips twitch as she did so.

Kanami could feel the soft resistance of the mattress as Kazuma slowly lowered her onto it. She whimpered as his weight pressed her down, though he kept most of it off her by bracing his hands on either side of her head. Tightening her legs around his waist, she slid her hands into his hair and began to kiss him with the same passion that he showed her.

When he pulled back for air, both stared at each other with glazed eyes. Kazuma then grinned roguishly and feathered kisses along her jaw, stopping only when he reached her ear. Taking the lobe between his teeth, he gave it a small tug then licked around the edge of it. His grin widened as Kanami gasped and arched into him.

His hands moved from beside her head as he braced himself with his knees, moving them so that they followed the curve of her waist. He reached the edge of her shirt and grasped it in his fists. Raising himself up, Kazuma looked into Kanami's eyes, silently asking for permission. A moment of hesitation and she was nodding.

Kazuma held back a groan as he lifted the shirt away from her body. He had been correct before; she was a goddess. Leaning forward, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips before trailing his own down her throat. Stopping when neck met shoulder, he sucked hard on the smooth skin, leaning back slightly to admire the bruise that marked her as his.

He continued his slow decent, leaving kisses and love bites as he went. Kanami was gasping and writhing underneath him, and he couldn't suppress a small growl as she arched into him again. Bringing one hand up from where he had rested it on her hip, he cupped the small mound in his hand and ran the pad of his thumb across the peak.

It hardened instantly in reaction to his touch, and Kazuma grinned. He kissed the skin between her breasts, laughing softly against her skin as she unconsciously ground against him. Using his other hand, he steadied her hip and slowly lowered Kanami back to the mattress from where she had arched into him. Placing his lips over the peak of her other breast, Kazuma closed his eyes and enjoyed the taste she offered.

Kanami could hardly believe what she was feeling, it felt so amazing. Her gasp of pleasure slowly turned into a moan as Kazuma brushed his tongue against her nipple. The sheets were clutched in her tight fists as she panted and gasped, never seeming to find enough air.

Concentrating hard, she managed to crack one eye open. The sight that met her eyes nearly made her close them again in a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Kazuma gently kneaded one breast in his hand while he suckled on the other, his eyes closed as he went about his task.

Noticing that he was still fully clothed, Kanami unclenched her fists and wrapped them around Kazuma's shoulders, slowly sliding them down his back. She could feel the hard muscle that lined every part of him, and wondered slightly how someone so strong could be so tender and gentle. Without warning, she slipped her hands underneath his shirt to feel his hot, bare skin.

Jerking slightly, Kazuma groaned. Kanami felt a strange sense of empowerment as he reacted so strongly to just her touch. Reveling in the feeling, she slid her hands upwards, bringing his shirt along as she did so. She was surprised by how hot his skin was, and as she finished bringing the shirt up and off, she brought Kazuma's mouth back to hers.

She could tell that he was pleased with her bold actions, and was more than eager to continue. Returning her hands to his shoulders, she explored the sinewy muscle of his arms and shoulders, trailing them up and down his arms as he shivered against her. Taking her mouth from his, Kanami turned her head and looked at his right arm.

Kazuma seemed to freeze above her as she reached with a gentle hand to trace a zigzagging line up his arm to his elbow. He watched her, afraid of how she would react, but was genuinely surprised when she shifted so that her mouth was set against his arm.

She traced a line with her tongue, one hand holding his now-trembling arm while the other stroked his hair. Kanami knew what those lines meant to him. They meant pain, they meant failure, they meant fear. As she continued to trace the thin lines up his arm, she could feel him tense as he suddenly buried his head in her shoulder.

Smiling softly against his skin, she didn't stop, but continued to trace the lines. Kanami could feel his hot tears as they leaked from his firmly closed eyes, and she could feel the shaking of his shoulders as he lay against her. Reaching his elbow at the end of one line, Kanami turned her head so that her mouth was next to his ear and said;

"I love you."

The tears continued as Kanami stroked his hair, though the tension and shaking of his shoulders relaxed. After a while, Kazuma pulled back to look at her, a soft of apprehension in his eyes. He searched hers for a moment, then smiled as if satisfied with what he saw there. Bringing his mouth to hers, he kissed her, slow and deep.

"I love you, too," He whispered.

Kanami smiled and slid her hands into his hair, closing her eyes as he laved her throat with tongue and teeth. One hand clasped her hip, the other was making a slow decent down her soft belly to the beginning her of her pants. He hesitated for a moment, but Kanami squeezed him gently, reassuring him. Relaxing, Kazuma undid the button of her jeans and unzipped them, using both of his hands to slide them down her hips.

She gasped and writhed slightly as he fingered the edge of her panties, then grasped them and slid them down her legs as well. Kazuma seemed to be in no great hurry. He explored her legs thoroughly; massaging her calves, stroking her inner thighs, the slightly dry skin of her knees. Grasping the joint in one strong hand, he bent it and trailed his hand back down, cupping her.

Kazuma watched her reaction, another growl building in his throat. Kanami's skin was covered with a thin layer of sweat, her head thrown back some as she panted for breath. Her cheeks were tinted with a rosy shade of red, her hair tousled. She looked so beautiful right then that he could feel his breath catch.

Slowly, reverently, he bent his finger and stroked along the seam of her sex. She cried out and arched, and Kazuma repeated the motion. Again she cried out, though this time it was his name in a wordless plea. Smiling, Kazuma relented and slid a finger into her, stifling his own groan as he felt just how hot and tight she was.

Thrusting his finger gently, he set up a motion that soon had Kanami gasping and moaning. His eyes never leaving her face, he added a second finger without slowing his pace, his eyes glinting as she threw her head back even farther and arched into his fingers. He picked up the pace as he noticed her hands clenching tightly in his hair, her nails scratching slightly.

She climaxed with a scream, her head thrown as far back as she could, her back arched high. Kazuma buried his head in her exposed neck as her inner walls clenched against his fingers, her heat almost unbearable. Waiting until she relaxed some, he removed his fingers and cleaned them with his tongue.

The hands that had been clenched in his hair relaxed as Kanami slid her them down his shoulders, following his spine. They came to the edge of his pants and she traced the outline until she found the button. With somewhat shaky movements, she unclasped the button and undid the zipper.

Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, well aware of Kazuma's gaze as he watched her, she battled momentarily with her nervousness and naïveté. Setting her jaw, Kanami slid his pants down his legs and off, grateful for the help when Kazuma leaned up to allow her to finish. Her hands returned to his stomach, and she stroked and explored his hard belly as she gathered her resolve.

She glanced at Kazuma, afraid to see an impatient or irritated look, but was relieved to see only understanding. Smiling slightly, he reached down and clasped one of her hands in his, guiding her to where he needed her most. Biting her lip, she slid her palm around the erect organ, delighted and somewhat surprised when Kazuma groaned loudly and bucked against her hand.

Slowly she began to stroke up and down his length, growing bolder with each choked moan that Kazuma released. Kanami tightened her hold on him and quickened her pace, determined to make Kazuma feel as good as he had made her. The breathless groans and gasps increased in intensity until Kazuma finally reached down to remove her hand.

Understanding why, Kanami smiled slightly and pushed him gently until he rolled over. She settled herself on top of him, his member still clasped firmly in her fist. He was covered in a fine sheen of sweat with his head thrown back and eyes tightly closed, and Kanami couldn't help but feel a slight swell of pride. She had reduced the great Kazuma the Shell Bullet to this.

Firmly ignoring the slight twinges of nervousness she felt, Kanami kissed the side of Kazuma's jaw. The taste she found there was most definitely masculine, and most definitely Kazuma. She could taste the outside air on his skin, as well as something so completely him that she couldn't find a proper name for it. The last taste she could find was the salty taste of the sweat that coated his skin, and she kissed his jaw lightly.

Taking the same path Kazuma had taken when worshipping her body, Kanami trailed her tongue down his throat, kissing and nipping at his skin as he had hers. She came to a flat male nipple, and couldn't help but run her tongue over the top. He groaned, his hands clenching in the sheets, and Kanami swept her tongue over it once more.

Continuing on her path, she stopped to trace the outline of his abs with her tongue. She could feel the muscles underneath her mouth jump as she gave one last kiss to his stomach before sitting up slightly and placing her hands on either side of Kazuma's hips. Stealing a glance at him, she found him watching her, his eyes locked with hers as she slowly lowered herself towards his throbbing member.

Nervousness once more tugged at Kanami, but she ignored it, praying that instincts would be enough to help her. She was determined to repay Kazuma for the pleasure he had given her earlier. Shoving aside the last of her doubts, Kanami slowly touched her lips to his tip.

He groaned but held himself back from thrusting into her mouth by sheer force of will, wanting to let Kanami do it her own way. She had opened her mouth slightly, her tongue flicking against him in a way that had his eyes rolling back into his skull.

The taste of him was slightly bitter, Kanami noticed, but something about it reminded her strongly of him and she found that she liked it. Sliding her lips around him, she slowly took as much as she could of his length into her mouth. He groaned and his hips bucked slightly.

Working entirely on instincts and the desire to make Kazuma feel as good as she possibly could, Kanami slowly began to slide her lips up and down his member, her hands bracing her weight against his hips. She could feel the muscles in his legs and stomach working as he kept to keep from thrusting further into her, and she could tell that it was taking a good deal of effort.

Kazuma was in some kind of heaven, he was sure of it. Every cell in his body was in pleasurable agony as Kanami's warmth enveloped him, her teeth gently scrapping against him as she moved. He groaned and bucked into her mouth, his teeth grinding against each other in his efforts to avoid forcing more of himself into her warmth.

He released a moan, closing his eyes tightly and clenching his hands in the sheets as the stars that had built up behind his eyelids burst. Unable to control his body any longer, Kazuma thrust upward. Kanami, startled, reared back enough that he avoided choking her, much to his relief.

She slowly took her mouth from him, swallowing as much of the bitter liquid as she could. Reaching forward, she brushed a sweat-soaked lock from Kazuma's forehead, amazed and gratified at his reaction to her administrations. He laid panting beneath her, his eyes closed and his hands clenching and unclenching as the last shocks of his climax raced through him.

Without opening his eyes, Kazuma reached up so that he could slide his hands into her hair. He brought her head back down to his so she was leaning against his chest, her head tucked underneath his chin. For long moments he simply held her, concentrating on calming his breathing once more.

When he finally managed to stop panting, he leaned down next to Kanami's ear and whispered, "You have no idea how good that felt."

He could feel Kanami blush, her face growing hot against his already overheated skin. Grinning, he reversed their positions so that he was looming over her and leaned down to press his lips to hers. She opened her mouth to his seeking tongue, and it wasn't long before he tasted a curious mix of himself and of Kanami.

His hands were anything but idle. They traced the outline of her hips, stroking her sides and splaying against her heated skin just below her breasts. She gasped into his mouth and Kazuma couldn't stop the self-satisfied grin. He left one hand where he had placed it, trailing the other down her side until he had clasped her hip.

Kanami followed his example, her hands stroking along every part of him that she could reach. Her lithe little digits explored the hard muscle of his forearms, his back, his stomach. The feel of her skin against his, her panting breaths against his neck was causing the fire in his veins to nearly double in intensity, and he found himself pressing closer to her without even realizing it.

His length was hard, heavy against her thigh as Kanami slid her hands around Kazuma's neck and gazed at him as he watched her through hooded, possessive eyes. Dipping forward, he kissed her, a rough and needy kiss that had Kanami whimpering, low and in the back of her throat. He shifted some, urging her legs wider as he settled in between them.

The hands around his neck tightened as the very tip of him brushed Kanami's entrance. She whimpered once more, her eyes closed tightly as she arched into him. Kazuma watched her face for any sign of apprehension, any sign that she didn't want this. He would die before he forced her to do anything she didn't want to.

Opening her clenched eyes, Kanami regarded him with somewhat confused eyes. She searched his for a moment, then smiled softly, hugging him close to her. There was no doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted, what she _needed_, and she tried to portray that to him through actions alone.

Feeling him tense, she knew that Kazuma had made up his mind. The tip of his length pressed against her core, and Kanami sucked in a breath as he slowly began to enter her. Her muscles were unused to the feeling of being stretched and protested to the invasion. Clenching her eyes shut, Kanami steeled herself and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Kazuma was whispering nonsense into her ear, words and phrases that meant nothing yet at the same time still managed to calm her down. She relaxed some, allowing him to slide deeper into her until he stopped suddenly with an apologetic look. Looking up at him from where she had burrowed herself in the pillows, Kanami stroked the side of his jaw.

"I'm going to hurt you," He almost choked on the words, and Kanami got the distinct feeling that that very thought appalled him more than anything else.

She reached up with the hand that had stroked his jaw to trace the outline of one eyebrow, "I know. But I want this Kazuma. There's no doubt in my mind that I want this."

He seemed reassured by her words, and with another deeply remorseful look, he drew back only to thrust back in. Kanami gasped in pain and tightened her legs around his waist, her hands scratching against the skin of his shoulders. Kazuma was once more at her ear, filling her mind with whispered apologies and more nonsense. She only half-listened, concentrating instead on relaxing.

When the pain had faded into a dull throb, Kanami shifted against Kazuma, gasping and moaning when a jolt of pleasure raced up her spine. Kazuma in turn groaned and buried his head against her collarbone where he panted lightly as he fought to control himself.

Every bone, every muscle, every fiber in his body was screaming that he continue, that he take her hard and fast. Grinding his teeth against each other so hard that he thought they might crack, Kazuma slowly withdrew and thrust back in, setting up a steady pace. Kanami whimpered and he leaned back to admire her, noticing with slight amusement that the red ribbon was still tied in her hair.

Using one hand, he reached down and bent one of her legs at the knee, using his other hand to reach forward and untie the ribbon. Never stopping, he ran his hand through the mass of silk, leaning forward until he could bury his nose within it. Returning his hands to Kanami's hips, he sped up his pace as her whimpers and moans grew steadily louder.

She was arched against him, his breasts pressing hard against his chest as he slid in and out of her. Sparks were racing through her blood, Kazuma's skin searing hers where they touched. Kanami felt as if she was going to burst, her eyes tightly closed as she rocked against his body, the pleasurable bolts trailing up and down her spine. Every fiber of her being was concentrated on the hard length stroking her, her hands clenching and unclenching against his neck.

Finally the feelings exploded, and Kanami gave a sharp cry that turned out to be Kazuma's name as she climaxed hard. Her inner walls clamped down around his length, and she could feel him groan and shudder as he continued to thrust in and out of her soft body. Moments later her name spilled from his lips and Kazuma climaxed, panting and groaning against her neck.

As the last aftershocks of their orgasms disappeared, Kazuma and Kanami slowly turned their heads so that they could look at the other. Kazuma reached forward to brush her hair from her face, his hand trembling slightly as he did so. Smiling, Kanami hugged him tightly and burrowed against his chest, exhausted. Grinning some, Kazuma gently rolled them so that her head was pillowed against his shoulder, her body covering his.

Kazuma stroked her hair, an unfathomable feeling of joy rising within his bloodstream as Kanami's eyes closed and she drifted to sleep, her naked body tangled with his. He reached down until he could pull the comforter over them, his hands coming to rest on the curve of Kanami's waist as he closed his own eyes.

As for Kanami, she knew she was dreaming. She knew that the feelings she felt, the emotions that sprang so strongly out at her were not only Kazuma's but hers, and she knew that the emotions weren't going to go away. Kazuma wasn't going to go away. He had returned to her at last, and now he was prepared to stay.

Smiling softly in her sleep, she shifted against his hard chest and burrowed a little further into his neck. So maybe he wasn't perfect, she was okay with that.

"_As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live."_

_-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

* * *

**Cataracta's Notes: **So there it is! My second lemon to date. Please tell me how I did and where I can improve. I'm also sorry if anyone seems OOC, but if you do have a complaint name it. I'll either defend my reasoning or look contrite. Ttfn! 


End file.
